Mop constructed of yarns arranged in laterally spaced-apart groups



Aug., 17, E954 H. R. KIRBY 2,685,323

MOP CONSTRUCTED OF' YARNS ARRANGED IN LATERALLY SPACED-APART GROUPS Filed Feb. 12, 194'? 2 Sheets-Sheet l E 1E; l...

I6 n il l 23 s4 l? 3 22 34 :4 fg- L8 30 as' vivi if f 3 :ff if; u l i A u 1: Fesaa i 38/ l a7 l5 E :LE- ik L aa v O s INVENTOR.

35 HERBERT R.K|RBY' Aug. E?, w54 H. R. KIRBY 2,686,328

MOP CONSTRUCTED OF YARNS ARRANGED IN LATERALLY SPACED-APART GROUPS Filed Feb, 12, 194? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a4 jg EE-...E

/28 f i :i 1% IIL 34 30 fag \32 33 :Elmar- 1E 28 34H n 1| n 1 Inl/33 28 ao/ a 34 T215 sao 32 42 JNVENToR.

' GLASS ,News HERBERT R.K|Ray Patented Aug. 17, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOP CON STRUCTED OF YARNS ARRANGED IN LATERALLY SPACED-APART GROUPS 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to mops and refers more particularly to mops of the type employed to apply liquids at elevated temperatures.

Mops forming the subject matter of this invention are especially useful in the fabrication of roofing or decking where layers of roofing felt are laid down in superposed relation and are coated with asphalt, tar or pitch to assure a moisture-tight bond between adjacent layers. In fabricating roofing of the above general types, it is important to apply a uniform and thin coat of the bonding material over the felt in order to prevent trapping air bubbles within the coating and between the layers of felt and to provide a weatherproof roof. The coating material must be in a highly fluid state and, because of this, is usually heated to a temperature above 400 F. before it is applied.

Diiculty has been experienced in the past in providing a mop which combines the properties of being sufficiently light in weight to be readily maneuverable, of being capable of withstanding elevated temperatures for extended periods of use, and of having the liquid retention qualities necessary to cover a substantial area without redipping in the liquid. The difficulty arose from making the mop head of brous glass to obtain the desired resistance to high temperature, but since the smooth, non-porous glass fibers are non-absorbent and can carry liquids only on their surfaces and by capillary action, a substantial increase in the quantity and weight of fibrous material was indicated to provide high capacity for retaining liquids.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mop having a head comprising a mass of fibers that are unaffected by the temperatures of 400 F. and above that are encountered in the application of roong materials but having the desired high capacity to retain liquids.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mop head in which the yarns or strings throughout the head are exposed to liquids when the mop is dipped into a body of liquid.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mop head having a greater overall bulk for the amount or weight of the fibrous material making up the head.

It is a further object to provide a mop head that has greater liquid holding ability in the regions adjacent the upper end of the head so that such regions act as a reservoir for liquid that feeds down into the lower end of the head during a mopping operation.

It is still another object of the-invention to provide a mop head formed of fibrous glass having means for securely holding the relatively smooth, slippery glass ber yarns against pulling out from the head during use of the mop.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds; especially when considered with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a mop constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the mop head showing the innerl core of relatively short fibers;

Figure 3 is a sectional View through the mop head;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an elevational view showing one step in the method of forming the mop head;

Figure 6 is a side elevational View showing another step in the method of manufacture;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line lof Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of parts of a modified mop;

Figure 9 is an elevational view of the body ofi'ibers employed in making the mop shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken on the line IIl-IU of Figure 9;

Figure 1l is an elevational detail view, partly broken away, showing a modification in the manner of arranging the mop yarns, and

Figure l2 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating an assembly of the components of the invention illustrated in Figure 8.

The mop featured in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, comprises a head I5, a handle I6 and connecting means I'l for removably securing the mop head to the handle. The mop head l5 comprises a tubular holder I8, a body I9 of mop yarns and a retainer 20 for the fibers in the form of a flexible tape 2I. The holder I8 is preferably formed of metal or some equivalent strong, light-weight material and is provided with a pair of holes 22 at diametrically opposite sides thereof. The internal diameter of the holder I8 is suflicient to freely receive the lower end portion of a sleeve 23 having a pair of diametrically opposed holes 2A adjacent the lower end registerable with the holes 22 in the holder for receiving a pin 25. The pin 25 extends transversely through the registering holes and serves to detachably secure the holder to the sleeve.

As shown in Figure 4 of the drawings the outside diameter of the sleeve 23 is smaller than the inside diameter of the holder I8 and four spacers 26 are welded or otherwise secured to the sleeve in spaced relation to each other circumferentially of the sleeve 23. The spacers 26 take up the clearance between adjacent walls of the holder and sleeve and provide a snug rit of the sleeve 23 in the holder I8. The upper end of the sleeve 23 is adapted to receive the lower end portion of the mop handle I6 which isv preferably formed of wood or other material. In the present instance the handle is secured to the sleeve by a pin or bolt 21 extending through registering :openings formed in t'h'e handle andin diametrically opposite ksides of the sleeve 23.

In general the body I9 is formed of a multiplicity of yarns or cords grouped around the holder I8 in sheets or layers that fdepend from the holder and are disposed one wlthinltheother and spaced laterally from each other to provide annular spaces between the sheets or layers. Preferably the yarns or cords :at the center of the body I9 are substantially shorter in length than the yarns in the remainder of the *body to provide a central opening in the body of the mop head. This cen'tralfspa'ce and the yspaces'rbetween the .sheets for Zlayers Aof 'yarns greatly increase the capacity of the mop head fto `hold:a coating liquid ibecause 'they enable the liquid `to readily collect ion practically .all of theavailable surface area of the yarns :and V:the bers `in the Ayarns when thefmop head -is immersed in the liquid.

'The yarns orlcordsrrnaking up the'brous body I9 are composed of intertwisted glass bers so thatthetmop is highlyiresistantto vheat and particularly to the Vtemperatures normally encountered Vin the application of molten -rooling materials. .Especially satisfactory results have been obtained by :using `iibrous glass in which the individual fibers :are ;=suiliciently ne to Vprovide the high liquid holding capacity required in mops of this character and that are collected together into cords of suilicient size to vprovide the relatively large bulk also desired in such m'ops. For examplegfeachfstrandor yarn may be in the form of an `intertwisted body of fine glass fibers, each having a diameter of about .0003 of an inch 'or less. .The large Vaggregate surface varea relative to the bulk of a mass of these very fine fibers results .in a mop having `a greater holding capacity for liquids. Since the 'bers themselves are non-absorbent, 'the Aliquid is 'readily .available to abe transferrediromfthe:mop to :a surface to .be coatedfarnd only 1a smallarnount of liquid remains in the mop after a .mopping operation. Moreover, the glass of "the bers hasa 'sufliciently 'high rate ofih'eatlconductance, so `that any Easphalt remaining in .the mop after amopping :operation and athat .hashardened will readily soften :under the .application of 'heat when the mop Yis reused. In practice, Ya retainer '2'8 in the Vvform of a relatively .narrow tape of interwoven glass or other 'bersiis placed on a lla'twork surface, :and a `plurality of .bundles V29 of .generally parallelly arranged .glass `iiber yarns of desired length :are placed side by side across the'llength yof the tape. In 'the particular illustration shown in Figure v5 of .1t-he drawings, :eight :bundles of yarns are fernployed-an'dth'ese bundles rare laid across the tape in juxtaposition `to .each other. The number of bundles and .size of the bundles is selected to provide the weightof :fibrous material desired in the mop lhead,'usua`-l1y '5 "to l2 pounds. Several of the end bundles, usually lthe 'two end bundles 30 and 3 I, :are laidsyrnrnetrically with respect to the 'longitudinal center line of the tape. The remaining bundles 32, as villustrated in Figure '5, are 'longer vthan 'bundles 30 and 35| and are shifted laterally with Arespect to the tape, so that the length of the end portions '3'3 projecting ybeyond the adjacent longitudinal edge 4of the tape is considerably less than the length of the end portions kSII Yextending beyond the opposite 'longitudinal edge of the tape.

`Aiter the bundles 29 of s'trandsare positioned across the tape in the above manner, they are flattened and smoothed down to form a sheet or layer of uniform thickness. The length of the tapeextending beyond fthe'bundles vis then folded *over `the top of the bundles, Vora second length of tape is laid over the bundles, and the free ends '34 of the tape are folded inwardly. The folded tape .is-then Vsewn ,for stitched along its center line and then along its longitudinal edges to securely fasten the strands forming the bundles "in'place 'Upon completion of this operation, the

assembly is vfolded along the longitudinal center line of the tape vin the manner indicated in Figure d6 'of the drawings to form the body I9.

In the modied form of the invention shown in Figure `vll, the Vbundles 129 of strands are of dodblelength vand are folded-over at ttheir-'centers as at 50. Therdoubled over Jportionsfarelaid side by side crosswise of the tape IZB. This eliminates theshor-t ends 133 and `assures-againstpulling oui-of the strandsIduring use o'f the mop.

When the `tape or .retainer k28 with fthe .strands secured thereto Ais folded about its longitudinal center line, 'the relatively short ends '33 :ofthe bundles 32 -assume positions .immediately ladjacent the .muchlonger end .portions 3l. and the Lend bundles 50 -and .13| are folded 'midway between their 'ends :to *form double layers somewhat shorter in length than the length of kthe .portions '3l of the bundlesviZ. After the retainer Aor tape 28 'is folded in the above manner., the .end .of :thetape adjacent the bundles i3!) and .3| `is `positioned against the holder i8 and the tape is wrapped around the lholder "to 'form a 'substantially 'flat spiral with the brous `strands extending downwardly from the holder. The length of the 'tape 2.8 taken up by the bundles 3D and 13I is :preferably suilicient to extend around the circumference ofthe holder |58 'to form :a vcentralportion oi 'the mop'head. This 4`head is surrounded by the substantially'flonger layers of yarns inthe bundles 32. 'This difference in length of the glass fiber strands Aprovides 1a :central open-ing -or -space '35 for entry of the `coating `liquid into lcontact with the inner regions of the lmophead. Also, it will be noted from Figure 3 of the drawingsfthat 'the rela-tively short =ends 33 fof x'the-layers composed of the .brous -glass bundles "32 act `as spacers 'between adjacent convolutions of 'the layers composed 'o'f :the end portions 34 of the bundles 29 to Y'form the spaces 36 between 'these layers. The spacesr a'iord :ready 'access of a `coatingliquid to the surfaces fof the yarns throughout the'mop head to greatly increase the=capac'ity of vthe mop to retain liquid.

rihe spirally 'wound body I9 is held in assez-nbl-ed relation with the holder I`8 by 'a clamp in the form of a'len'gth of wire 31 wrapped around the tape and twisted at the ends. Also 'in the present instance, four lengths -of wire 3'8 are passe-d through four equally spaced openings '38' formed in `the holder 'I'8 above the retainer Ior tape 2a. The lower end portions of the four lengths `of wire 'Se are 4bent upwardly around the lower -edge 'o'f the holder IIB over the spirally wound 'tape 23 and are vsecured in Vplace by twistingitheir-ends together. This isfone olmany types or vfastening vmea-ns that may -be used to -secure the body I9 of the v-mop headto the holder A'I8 and the invention is k'not 'to -be restricted -to 4the specific vmeans shown.

-'I'he lembodiment 'of the invention shown 'in Figures 8 to i0' inclusive features another attach ment Aof a mop head to a handle assembly. lin this embodiment of the invention 4a skein of glass fibers is arranged to form a rectangular flat sheet or body 40 of yarns oncords of glass fibers. Tapes 4i also of brous glass are fastened to the body 40 by being stitched to opposite faces thereof along the middle of the body. The body 49 is then folded over along its longitudinal center line and is stitched as at "i2 to fasten the two sides of the body together and to form a loop 43 at the upper end thereof.

The folded body 48 is adapted to be attached to a handle d4 by a retainer or support 45 in the form of a metal strip bent into the shape of a spiral and having the inner end pinned or otherwise secured to the lower end of the handle 44. The loop 43 on the folded body 40 is of sufficient size to enable threading the same onto the spiral retainer 45 to provide a mop head with adjacent convolutions of downwardly extending glass fibers. The retainer positions the adjacent convolutions of glass fibers in lateral spaced-apart relationship to provide ample clearance between the yarns for the entrance of the coating liquid with which the mop is used.

Mops fabricated of glass iibers collected in strands and yarns in accordance with either of the above embodiments have a compact and dense nature, because of the compact arrangement of the individual smooth fibers in the cords, but at f the same time, provides a feather edge effect at the lower end of the mop due to unravelling of the cords at their extremities. This separation of the fibers at the ends of the cords aids materially in obtaining a very uniform coating of liquid on the surface being mopped. It will further be noted that in both embodiments of this invention, provision is made for readily removing the mop head from and assembling the mop head on the handle assembly whenever it is desired or necessary to replace the mop head.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a mop head comprising a layer of glass fibers folded upon itself with the fold being substantially along a median line for a portion of the length of the layer and along another portion of the layer being offset to one side of the median line of the second-named portion, the folded layer being rolled upon itself with the portion folded on the median line arranged inside of the said other folded portion to provide a plurality of substantially annular sections arranged one within the other and 'having the fibers extending from an inner section substantially shorter in length than the nbers extending from an outer section.

2. As an article of manufacture, a mop head comprising a holder, a substantially circularly arranged mass of glass fibers all extending in side by side relation, a portion of said mass at one end thereof being folded over on itself along a line to provide a double thickness at said end and another portion of said .mass being of different length folded over on itself along the line and extending in the same general direction, a retainer in the form of a iexible tape secured to said mass along the line of the fold thereof and extending spirally around the holder in a plurality of convolutions, the fibers extending from the innermost convolutions being shorter in length than the fibers extending from the outer convolutions to provide a central space in the mass of fibers, and the adjacent convolutions made up of the longer fibers being spaced apart 6 laterally to provide additional spaces in the mass of fibers. i

3. As an article of manufacture, a mop head comprising a holder, a mass of glass fibers arranged in side by side relation, a retainer for supporting the fibers extending in a substantially flat spiral around the holder in a plurality of convolutions with the fibers extending from one convolution spaced crosswise of the mop head from nbers extending from adjacent convolutions, the fibers in an outer convolution extending a greater distance from the retainer than fibers extending from the innermost convolution.

4. As an article of manufacture, a mop head comprising a holder, a mass of yarns formed of glass fibers, said yarns extending in side by side relation forming a sheet, a portion of said mass at one end thereof being folded over on itself along a median line to provide a double thickness at said end and another portion of said mass being offset from the median line and folded over on itself along the median line, a retainer in the `form of a flexible tape secured to said mass along the line of the fold thereof and extending spirally around the holder in a plurality of convolutions, the yarns extending from the innermost convolutions being shorter in length than theyarns extending from the outer convolutions to provide a central space in the mass of yarns, and the adjacent convolutions made up of the longer yarns being spaced apart laterally to provide additional spaces in the mass of yarns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 624,464 Erickson May 9, 1899 698,880 Warren et al Apr. 29, 1902 878,344 Chazal Feb. 4, 1908 1,027,209 Margolius May 21, 1912 1,224,524 Courtney May 1, 1917 1,406,966 Bienstock Feb. 21, 1922 1,515,494 Knox Nov. 11, 1924 1,668,084 Oliver May 1, 1928 1,787,965 Weiss Jan. 6, 1931 2,230,968 Cave Feb. 4, 1941 2,295,914 Rasic Sept. 15, 1942 2,320,323 Grunberg May 25, 1943 2,427,137 Hall Sept. 9, 1947 2,466,785 Schreyer Apr. 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,558 Great Britain of 1911 51,845 Sweden Dec. 27, 1918 492,061 Great Britain Sept. 14, 1938 582,350 Germany' Aug. 14, 1933 910,236 France May 31, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Publication, Practical Builder for November 1946, published by The Practical Builder, Chicago, 5, lll., page 60. article entitled Roofing Mop for Applying Bitumen. (Copy in Div. 27 of the U. S. Patent Office.)

Publication, The Pioneer for October 1946 published by the Niagara Alkali C'o., 60 E. 42nd St., New York, N. Y., page 9. (Copy in Division 27, U. S. Patent Office.) 

